UC San Diego researchers report 2 successful surgie gallbladder surgery trials
Technology
UC San Diego researchers have pulled off two successful trials with Surgie, a humanoid robot that performs gallbladder surgery using regular surgical tools (no fancy custom arms needed).
This could make surgeries way more accessible, especially in places where doctors are hard to find.
Lightweight robot shortens surgery time
Unlike bulky systems, Surgie is lightweight (just 27kg) and can move around easily, making it perfect for rural clinics or disaster zones.
A robotic version of the kind of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery used to take six hours; now it can take half an hour.
Professor Michael Yip said Surgie can help "amplifying access to critical surgeries" and could be deployed "in remote communities where staffing is challenging."